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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. capital — a city
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rush — hurry
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. capital — money
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com